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 trusty steel, and smote so hard at others, that they began to put spurs to their horses and begone, but he soon stayed their journey, for one of them having a portmanteau behind him Tom, supposing there was money in it, fought with a great deal more courage than before, till at last he killed two of the four, and the other two he wounded very sore, so that they cried out for quarter, and with much ado he gave them their lives, but took all their money, which was about two hundred pounds, to bear his expenses home. Now when Tom came home, he told them how he had served the four highwaymen, which caused a laughter from his old mother, then refreshing himself, went to see how all things were, and what his men had done since he went from home.

Then going up into his forest, he walked up and down, and at last met with a lusty Tinker, that had a good staff on his shoulder, and a great dog to carry his leather bag and tools to work. Tom asked the tinker whence